What’s Your Favorite Spring Smell in Southeast Minnesota?

Ahh, Spring. The time when one’s thoughts turn to… opening up the windows in the house to let in the fresh air — and to let in those Springtime smells too.

CSJ/TSM-Rochester

I once read the our sense of smell is the sense that triggers the most memory in humans, and I don’t doubt it. There are just certain smells that take you right back to events and activities in your past. Like walking into a school. I don’t know what that smell is, but they all smell the same as when I was a student 30 years ago.

And, here in Minnesota, each of our seasons have their own unique smells, too.

Now that Spring seems to finally have sprung, the smell of freshly-cut grass — as soon as someone in the neighborhood mows their lawn — will soon be wafting through neighborhoods throughout southeastern Minnesota, if it hasn’t already. (A guy on our block already had his lawnmower fired up earlier this week, which got me thinking about some classic SOUNDS of Spring.)

We’re a little early in the season yet, but the smell of lilacs in bloom always says Spring to me, as well — as does the smell of other annuals and perennials when they bloom.

And, right now, our garage contains another smell of Spring: the distinct smell of lawn seed and fertilizer. I bought some last weekend, and seeing as our lawn has been a little too wet to use it just yet (and I need to rake it, as well), now our entire garage smells like the lawn and garden section of your favorite store — which, to me, is a distinct smell of Spring.

What are some of your favorite smells that tell you it’s finally Spring?